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Music

Touching Bass: Synkro

Trains, rain and royal family talk from the Mancunian producer.

Manchester's Synkro has been a long time devotee to the more lucid side of bass music. His journey from dubstep to 2-step garage and, more recently, into ambient sculpted scores that could sit pretty on a movie soundtrack, has been characterised by a humane approach to deep frequencies. While he continues working on his new album – due next year – we caught up for a chat about trains, rain and royal families.

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Noisey: Hey man, so your sound has developed since then too. How comes you started making more ambient stuff?I’ve always been into really melodic stuff. I just think in the beginning I didn’t really have the balls to put it out. I think it takes a while to get comfortable with putting out stuff that is really deep and emotional. My main focus with my Synkro project now is to broaden my horizons and maybe work on film soundtracks, ambient music. I find it more interesting than club music and people connect with it more.

The piano sample for “Viewpoint” comes from American Beauty, which film soundtracks do you really like?

I’m more influenced by electronic music. Old electronica from a lot of artists on Warp, that kind of thing. But that’s something that I only found recently through the

Autonomic podcasts

. That’s what really opened my mind to more experimental music rather than club music.

Your past videos have always made me feel like I'm stood in the rain, but that’s not a bad thing.

Think it might be something to do with where I'm from because it’s pretty grim and rainy for 80% of the time if you open your window.

We’ve had a bit of sun recently though, right?

Yeah, only just. These past couple of weeks have been alright but again, the past few days it’s just been raining again. It’s still really warm but the sky is grey and it’s pissing it down again.

That sucks. So there’s a Synkro album on the way?

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Yeah, I'm working on that and it’s scheduled to be ready for next year. I'm working on some pretty interesting collabs for it. My next EP for Apollo is gonna be in November and that’s gonna be my last EP before my album.

Is Jade Parker one of the collaborations?

Yeah, she’s my girlfriend init so we’ve been working on some bits and bobs together anyway. She’s got a few things in the pipeline too. She might be doing something with Shadow Child and another producer from Manchester called Elsewhere.

Oh, is that Sam Elsewhere?

No, it’s another guy. There’s a dude from London called Elsewhere. This dude is working under another alias because of that I think. Two guys in the same genre.

Cool, so are there any other collaborations?

For vocal collaborations I'm working with Robert Manos, he’s an old drum and bass singer who has done dub tracks with people like Seba and Paradox, but he’s done his own stuff as well. I've done a few tracks with him. I’m working on a collaboration with Prefuse 73 for some stuff on his album. It’s crazy at the moment. I’ve also got a collab coming out with Troy Gunner and that’s coming out on his next EP. We put out his first record on Mindset a couple of years ago and since then he’s done really well for himself. Djrum remixed my tune “Look At Yourself”, which will be coming out on Mindset pretty soon.

The video for “Look At Yourself” always makes me think of public transport.

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I made it a lot while I was travelling.

So have you got a favourite memory of travelling and public transport?

When I was making my Acceptance EP, I made reference to how much time I spend on trains because I don’t have a car, I don’t even have a licence and I'm 25. On that EP, there’s a couple of samples of trains. The cover artwork is also a picture while on a train up to Manchester.

I’m the total opposite. I hate trains because of the Underground.

I fucking hate the Underground, I’d rather get a taxi.

Don't blame you.

His track is out on the Mosaic Vol.2 sampler on 29th July, with the full album release on 5th August on Exit Records.



TRACKLIST
Haraket - Taint (Djrum Remix)
Edmondson - Odell
Graze - On Board

Pedestrian - Midsummers Common

Synkro - Seems Like
Caski - Elephant Tribe (Troy Gunner Remix)
Synkro & Troy Gunner - Is This
Desolate - Ambrosia
Consequence - Modu1
Kiyoko - Dulcimer Follow Errol Anderson on Twitter @errol_and

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